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Nagaland · Kohima · Angami Naga

Kohima Village (Bara Basti)

Also known as: Bara Basti, Kewhira

One of Asia's largest villages by area — the ancestral Angami settlement that gave Kohima its name.

Overview

Kohima Village, locally 'Bara Basti', sits on the ridge above Kohima town. It is one of the largest villages in Asia by area and is the ancestral Angami settlement from which the state capital took its name.[1],[3]

The village is divided into four khels — Tsütuonuomia (T-Khel), Dapfütsümia (D-Khel), Lhisemia (L-Khel) and Pfüchatsümia (P-Khel) — each with its own ceremonial gate carved with mithun heads, birds and warrior motifs.[3],[4]

History

Kohima Village is a founder settlement of the Angami and predates the colonial town below by centuries; British Kohima grew from the administrative post established after the Anglo-Angami wars of the 1870s.[4],[5]

Culture & cultural significance

Sekrenyi, the Angami purification festival, is observed in every khel in late February with kizie (ritual water-drawing) and thekra hie (community songs).[2]

Festivals

Lifestyle, cuisine & handicrafts

Cuisine

  • Angami galho
  • Smoked pork with axone
  • Zutho rice beer

Handicrafts

  • Angami shawls
  • Wood-carved khel gates (workshops in T-Khel)

Things to do

  • Walk the four khel gates in a single loop (2 hours)
  • Visit the World War II museum in Kohima town
  • Sunrise view over Kohima from the ridge above P-Khel

How to reach

By air
Dimapur (DMU), 74 km.
By rail
Dimapur (DMV), 74 km.
By road
Bara Basti is a 15-minute climb from central Kohima; local taxis and shared Sumos serve it.

Best time to visit: October to April.

Nearby attractions & villages

  • Kohima War Cemetery

    2 km — Commonwealth War Graves memorial.

  • State Museum of Nagaland

    3 km — tribal galleries and Naga textile collections.

  • Kisama Heritage Village

    15 km south — Hornbill Festival venue.

Related villages

Responsible travel guidelines

  • Photograph khel gates from the road; the interior of each khel is residential.
  • Sekrenyi ritual sites are off-limits to visitors during the first two days.

Frequently asked questions

Is Kohima Village the same as Kohima city?
No. Kohima Village (Bara Basti) is the original Angami settlement on the ridge; Kohima town is the administrative capital that developed below it under British administration in the late 19th century.[3],[4]

Sources

  1. [1]Government of Nagaland — Kohima district
  2. [2]Tourism Department, Government of Nagaland
  3. [3]Wikipedia — Kohima Village
  4. [4]State Museum of Nagaland — Angami ethnography exhibit
  5. [5]Wikipedia — Battle of Kohima

Facts on this page are cross-checked against tier-1 (Government of India), tier-2 (state government & tourism boards) and tier-3 (district administration, official festival organisers) sources. Wikipedia is used as a tie-breaker only. Where sources disagree, the page states the ambiguity rather than picking a side.

Last verified 2026-07-27. Facts on this page were confirmed against tier-1/2 sources on that date.

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